Shop Talk - March 22

Macomb, IL – The panelists discuss whether media outlets should be forced to reveal identifying information about those who post comments to on-line forums.

The discussion stems from a defamation lawsuit in Indiana, where a judge ruled such information should be released.

The panelists agree that those who offer comments in a public forum should be held accountable for what they say. As a result, it might be wise for media outlets to assign someone to review comments before they're posted.

But the panelists also said names should not be released in certain cases. For example, someone who anonymously posts an item that blows the whistle on wrongdoing should be granted some protections.